India is the only country with enough skilled talent to rival China in semiconductors: 3rdiTech CEO

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New Delhi, May 29 (PTI) India is the only country with enough skilled manpower to compete with China in the semiconductor industry, boasting 20 per cent of the world’s semiconductor design talent concentrated in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune, according to fabless chipmaker 3rdiTech's CEO Vrinda Kapoor.

This unique advantage, built over decades as global tech giants established large R&D centres in India, positions the country to challenge China’s dominance in global semiconductor capacity, especially in defence electronics, where China is expected to hold 65 per cent share by 2030, she said.

"India is the only country with enough skilled manpower to be able to compete with China. Why? Because since the 70s, American companies have come to India. European companies have come to India and set up huge tech centres. So, our GCCs are finally paying off," Kapoor said at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025.

Kapoor highlighted that despite China’s rapid expansion in defence electronics supply chains -- growing by 600 per cent since 2004 -- India’s vast pool of skilled engineers and designers offers a critical competitive edge.

However, she stressed that for India to fully leverage this talent, Indian product companies must emerge and receive strong backing from domestic capital.

"20 per cent of the world's entire semiconductor design talent sits out of three Indian cities, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. Qualcomm's 5G chip was 100 per cent designed in India. So, what needs to change? Indian product companies need to emerge, and Indian capital needs to back them," 3rdiTech is part of a strategic partnership with the US Space Force and Bharat Semi (3rdiTech's holding company) to establish a semiconductor fabrication plant that will produce chips for use in military hardware and next-generation telecommunications. PTI ANK MR